New Jersey’s Top-End Independent Players

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Understandably, high school players in New Jersey who play in a conference or league tend to get a lot of coverage, but those who play for unaffiliated programs deserve some love too. There's a fantastic crop of talent among independent programs in the state, which we'll discuss in this article.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='491718' first='Morgan' last='Matthews'] - Pennington School (2024) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Matthews is one of the top prospects in the 2024 class and for good reason, but can get lost in the shuffle in New Jersey especially since Pennington is independent. However, she's been a bucket over the past two years, averaging 22.4 PPG, among the highest in the state, in 24 games played. A really impressive offensive game with solid perimeter defense to complement it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='879592' first='Izzy' last='Augustine'] - Pennington School (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Matthews' teammate, Augustine, proved to be one of the best and most consistent three-point shooters in the state last season. Averaging over two made threes a game and scoring 12.8 PPG, she's come into her own as a scorer and a shooter. The classic 3 and D archetype with plenty of agility and quick-thinking on the floor, Augustine has two great years ahead of her at Pennington.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor States - Stuart Day (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>States and Stuart Day had a limited schedule this season, playing in just 11 games, but what an 11-game stretch that was for the freshman, averaging 16.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.8 BPG this season. Her future is bright and her skillset favors her on the post and inside the perimeter, a place we expect her to really dominate that much more in come her sophomore year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='792359' first='Mia' last='Hartman'] - Princeton Day (2024) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hartman is a really intriguing frontcourt prospect to watch for Princeton Day, putting together a great junior season where she averaged 13.9 PPG and 1.5 made three-pointers a game. She's an agile and versatile forward and that shows with her perimeter shooting. More consistency all-around offensively will only continue to help her out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='976709' first='Amira' last='Pinkett'] - Hun School (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pinkett will be one of the best returning players for Hun School next season, if not their best returning player, and the sophomore was consistent down on the post on both sides of the ball. What really impressed us was her 1.3 blocks a game, an aggressive player with a great vertical and court awareness to stop offensive possessions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='588094' first='Anna' last='O'Keefe'] - Lawrenceville (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Big Red might have struggled in the win-loss column, but O'Keefe had no problems finding the bottom of the net as a junior. Easily one of the best three-point shooters in New Jersey, O'Keefe his 65 threes on the year, just under three a game, averaging 15.8 PPG in the process. She's a perimeter shooter to watch without a doubt during the AAU season and as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='588095' first='Hayla' last='Dora'] - Lawrenceville (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a jump in production Dora had as a junior for Lawrenceville, going from 6.8 PPG last season to 12.2 PPG this season, nearly doubling her offensive production as a whole. Dora has been a steady presence inside the perimeter, making over 4.5 two-point field goals a game, and in just missing out on two steals a game, that should be an easy target for her to hit as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238691' first='Kiyomi' last='McMiller'] - Life Center Academy (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's wild to think that two of the best players in the 2024 class in New Jersey both play for independent programs, with McMiller transferring to LCA this season. She's one of the best all-around talents we've seen in a long time, crafty and quick on the ball, fast and smart off the ball, and the ability to create at any time possible. McMiller is one who can take over a game in an instant, leaving her opponents in the dust.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->